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The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles is the first novel written by American author, Madeline Miller. The novel took Miller ten years to write. It was first published in September, 2011 by Bloomsbury. In 2012, it won the 17th annual Orange Prize for Fiction. The Song of Achilles is set in Ancient Greece and centers around the life of a young prince Patroclus and his relationship with Achilles. It is a modern adaptation of the events depicted in Homer's Illiad, particularly that of the Trojan War. Plot The novel begins with Patroclus' birth as the son of King Menoitius and an unnamed mother. When he was nine, he and his father travelled to Sparta as one of Helen's suitors, where he took an oath "to uphold Helen's choice, and to defend her husband against all who would take her from him." This oath turned out to be important later on as when Helen was 'stolen' by the Trojan prince, Paris. When he was ten, Patroclus accidentally kills a son of a nobleman. As punishment, his father exiles him to the small land of Phthia where Achilles and his father, King Peleus, reside. His friendship with Achilles quickly blossoms and Patroclus soon became Achilles' companion, or "therapon". At thirteen, Patroclus and Achilles had their first kiss. Thetis, enraged by their relationship, sent Achilles to Mount Pelion, where he would be trained by the centaur Chiron. Patroclus follows him against Thetis' wishes and resides with Achilles in a rose-quartz cave at Pelion. Chiron teaches them various skills in forestry and medicine. One evening, after Achilles' sixteenth birthday, Achilles and Patroclus make love for the first time. Soon afterwards, however, news of Helen's abduction caused Achilles to get summoned back to Phthia, where he is asked to lead the Myrmidons. Due to the prophecy of Achilles' sure death in the war, Thetis hides Achilles in the island of Scyros. Eventually, however, Odysseus and Diomedes were able to force Achilles out of hiding and convince him to join the war. Achilles and his men met with the other Greeks at Aulis, then headed to Troy after a month. Although the Greeks are successfully able to land on Troy's shores, Troy kept its gates closed. The Greeks led raids on the land outside its walls, leading to deaths of farmers, war spoils and slavery of women. One of these women was Briseis, who later becomes great friends with Patroclus. The war drags on for many years, with Achilles leading in the battlefield and Patroclus in medicine. Although there are no obvious winners at the start, the tides begin to turn against the Greeks when Achilles gets into an argument with Agamemnon and refuses to fight any longer. In order to save the Greeks and Achilles' honor, Patroclus offers to lead the Myrmidons on his stead. Patroclus wears Achilles' armor in order to make the Greeks and the Trojans believe that it was Achilles. Although Patroclus fights bravely and well on the battlefield - even killing Sarpedon - he is eventually killed by Hector. Achilles, distraught by Patroclus' death, kills Hector, whose death has been prophesied to come before his own. As expected, Achilles is soon killed by Paris. In the end, Patroclus joins Achilles in the afterlife.